The Breitling Watch Source Forums

A bit of leather is a bit of leatehr, even if it is top grade, sweat is an acid and whatever you pay, the result will be the same. 2 years, 3 years tops. Croc, calf, shark or squirrel, or the finest (insert you animal choise here) in the finish, if you pay £500.00 for a strap that's a lot of margin for you dealer!

I've not noticed Genuine Breitling Straps lasting any longer. Why would they?

It's leather, only leather.

Yes they'll outlast a watch, yet I too won't fit a look-at-me 'Clanger'. No bracelet for me, understated leather is the way to go. I get my deployment straps for £35.00 tops on Ebay, and I fit a new oen every time it looks a bit 'manky'. Say every 10=12 months, and at that price, so what?

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Behold my disciples, for I am He, the ClangMessiah. Self-appointed Clangification Crusader and upholder of the true faith. The Clank Gospel.

I agree that leather is leather and as such the actually material itself will break down just as fast on a super expensive leather strap as it will on a cheap leather strap. However, the quality of Breitling straps in terms of stitching, grain (on the crocos), the padding, etc, is leagues ahead of most other prestige manufacturers, and certainly cheapo aftermarket options. Are they worth the price in material cost alone? No of course they aren't, not by a long way. But we can level the same argument at the watches themselves in that regard......

Personally I know they aren't worth the money, but I like the look and feel of OEM straps, so I personally choose not to use a cheap aftermarket straps. But each to their own.

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Driver8

Site Moderator

I find myself agreeing with you, I've found the calf straps sold on Ebay I speak of, very good and in finish, there's really a gnats c*ck in the differnce in stitching etc and general finish, its leather,,, what can you do to it to mess it up that much? There's definitley no differnce in life expectancy, they both go 'whiffy' just as quickly... why would they not. But perhasp I've been getting good ones.

Conversly, a cheapo croc is usually a hide embossed with a croc pattern, so is effectively a calf, so will not compare with a genuine croc, and again I agree, whilst I reckon the overpriced watch, over prioced strap argument is spot-on, our crazy overpriced watches do not rot before our eyes inside 2-3 years (at best). Wheras if you pay £500 for a strip of leather, well... it's 'kin daft, it won't be long before the stap costs more than the watch.

If you're happy with a calf and you could see what I get for my moeny, I promisee you, unless you've far deeper pockets thtan humble 'ole me, you'd not complain. If £500.00 for a strap that is good for, in real terms, under a year, is nothing to you, you'll have stopped reading long since. For the rest of us, £35.00 Ebay straps it is.

It comes down to the money, and if you have enough, don't let me stop you, your dealer will beseech his undying man-love to you.

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Behold my disciples, for I am He, the ClangMessiah. Self-appointed Clangification Crusader and upholder of the true faith. The Clank Gospel.

The strap will ultimately give way to the elements, but the difference between a Breitling strap and cheapies also includes the quality and thickness of the hides - both the croco on the outside and calf on the inside, and the quality of the stitching, etc... Most cheap straps separate and fall apart long before a high quality strap will. Really, all leather is not created equally.


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SHARKMAN

Even the bob ones (which are good) are not a stitch on the oem.

Buy a great car and put retreads on it?

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Al

“Quis custodiet ipsos custodes"

I'm with D8 on this one I'm all counts. Needless to say that of course I'm delighted with my OEM croc strap. Furthermore, several of my friends who've tried non-OEM straps have regretted it and that has cost them the extra expense.

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- This is Ghost Rider requesting a fly-by. - Negative Ghost Rider. The pattern is full.

Hi,
dum question as i m a newbie to these watches, is the crock strap from breitling made from crocodile/aligator hide?

Thanks..

Yes, hence why it's called croc

I have a lot of what I refer to (and my wife sometimes agrees) as "lovable quirks". One of these is my mental block with paying $500 for a fungible watch strap. I'm working on it, and I still would love to have an OEM Breitling croc on my Headwind. The BOB shark strap it came on is actually quite nice though I know an OEM is nicer. The BOB is also under $30 to replace. I had a JLC with a beautiful OEM strap which surprisingly seemed a little fragile. If I'd kept that watch, I'd probably be looking at replacing it by now. Same or similar dollars for replacement OEM, I'd guess.

I'll be looking for a middle ground and I have read about some fine ones out there, and those are high-quality leather croc-imprints. For those with my "lovable quirk" I think it's a logical next step to an OEM, and probably my next strap purchase. For now, holding onto my BOB until it's time to go.

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Scott

AP Royal Oak 15400, silver
Zenith Chronomaster El Primero Classic Cars
Vintage gold Corum
Rolex DJ 36 TT, oyster dial, oyster/smooth
Baume & Mercier Riviera 200m, silver dial/aquamarine bezel
Breitling Superocean 57, rose/stainless

Ha!
Here in Australia, an AD will ask you for approximately $700 for the strap and another $350 for the deployant buckle.
Keep in mind that the Aussie dollar is above the US at the moment & that means you're well over the US$1,000 mark for a genuine croco strap!


It is pure insanity.

I have three & love them.

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Montbrillant Datora
Chronomat
Superocean Steelfish
A number of strap / bracelet combo's

The outside is. The inside is a softer material that on most high end straps is (waterproofed) calf. It's a really, really nice strap. And at least for me, items I have in Croc leather have held up significantly better than those from cow leather...and the look is more distinct.




I found the $500 for the Breitling strap to be too high. Quality-wise they are exceptional...but for $500 you can get a croc/gator strap and a shark skin strap/python strap/lizard strap from someone like ABP or Stone Creek Straps, plus a deployment that is of equal quality and you can customize it to your liking which isn't an option with the OEM. And if you have a smaller wrist, an aftermarket 'dual' deployment is usually a better choice IMO.

From what I've read here, I've gathered that a deployment buckle of any type is usually advisable over a tang buckle simply because it is less wear on a watch, so going with croc with the deployment buckle is probably a worthwhile investment.

I can't speak for other manufacturers, but I'm pretty sure the calf on the inside of Breitling croco straps (or any of their other straps for that matter) isn't specifically treated to be waterproof or water resistant.

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Driver8

Site Moderator

I should have said water resistant and not proof and specified not for getting the strap wet as much as to prevent normal sweat from your wrist from completely destroying/stinking it up.

I went in to tourneau over the weekend looking for a black breitling 24mm band for my navitmer world with tang buckle, deployment does not work well with my small wrist. They had a black calfskin for $160 last one left he said at the old price, I was shocked at the price and bought it. I was getting ready to buy the same on on eBay for $280. Just a heads up for all you breitling guys to check Tourneau for new old stock at a great price.

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5 Super Avengers
1 Super Avenger 2
1 Super Avenger limited edition
1 Super avenger night mission
1 Limited edition chronomat Boston Celtics
Navitimer GMT
Transocean Chronograph Unitime
2 Omega planet ocean chronographs
1 Tag heuer Monaco

I bought my first Motors with a brown croc strap. I loved it. Nothing else compares to it. I'd to get another, but now, I am having a hard time coughing up the money to buy one.